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The Student Government Association passed its spring budget last night in Raitt Recital Hall with relatively minor commotion and in a little more than an hour.
The total available funds, which amounted to $127,875, were allocated toward the executive board, individual classes, Ocean’s 37, General and Philanthropy funds.
In comparison to last spring’s budget, allocations remained similar in most areas, with the exception of increased budget flexibility made possible by carryover funds from the fall.
The carryover totaled $8,665.
With the extra money, a class idea fund was introduced to provide individual classes with additional funds for hosting new events and collaborating with one another to maximize their resources. The $2,000 allotment to the class idea fund allows for a class to propose resolutions that request a maximum of $500 per request. However, the amount of resolutions a class may propose in a semester is not capped.
An amendment that there be no limit for the amount classes could request from the class idea fund was proposed by freshman SGA Senator Audree Condren. After a debate in which SGA Treasurer Amie Shaw defended the limits, the amendment failed. Individual class budgets already reflect future plans to utilize the class idea fund.
Overall, the Ocean’s 37 budget received a $3,000 increase from last semester.
Within Ocean’s 37, notable differences from Fall 2002 include a $10,000 increase in the concerts committee’s budget.
The concert’s budget accounts for more than 50 percent of Ocean’s 37 budget.
Last semester, the committee brought Dashboard Confessional to Firestone Fieldhouse. Concerts committee chair Jimmy Hutcheson announced during the budget meeting that a bid for another large concert event in March has already been made.
In addition to the major concert, the committee has plans to hold Friday night shows on campus to promote up-and-coming local bands.
Spring Fling, also in the Ocean’s 37 budget, is currently planned for Disneyland. It was allotted $18,000.
The general and philanthropy funds increased by $500 each through the distribution of carryover funds.
“I thought it went fairly smoothly,” Shaw said of the budget meeting.
SGA President Ben Elliott attributed the smooth passing of the budget to the proper usage of funds last semester and the effective cooperation of the individual classes and committees.
With the passage of the spring budget, Gamma Phi Beta will be given $450 from the philanthropy fund for their fifth annual Boot Camp. Their resolution was passed last Wednesday prior to the budget proposals. The Boot Camp to be held Jan. 31 will benefit the Camp Laurel Charity which focuses on children afflicted by HIV and aids.
Directly after the approval of the budget, the SGA passed a resolution to provide funds for the second annual Identity Seminar after some debate. The resolution requested the allotment of 30 percent of the General Fund to the event, which focuses on reaching out to Pepperdine females with eating disorders and body image problems. Reasoning that the event does not reach out to the full student population, junior Senator Steve Lyle proposed an amendment to reduce the allotment to 15 percent. After a capped debate, the Identity Seminar was granted 30 percent of the General Fund.
In other news, elections for open junior and senior senator positions took place over the course of the last two days. One junior and one senior senator were removed from SGA after last semester due to violations in the constitution’s meeting attendance policy. Elliott would not release the names of the removed senators. Stu Strachan was elected to the junior senator seat and Tina Ngo to the senior senator seat.
Elliott has also announced plans for a series of “legacy pillars” to mark the SGA’s impact on Pepperdine this spring. The four pillars are the newly launched Safe Rides program, the installation of a Freedom Wall, another major concert on campus, and a Pepperdine Movie Channel. Though not yet finalized, the movie channel will feature 10 free, pre-selected movies per month on TV-26.
“They (the legacy pillars) are four things that have come about within the last year that will hopefully stay around for years and years,” Elliott said.
The Freedom Wall, to be posted next to the bookstore, will be a forum for students to post problems, poems, and any other messages they wish to communicate to the community.
Plans for the wall will be finalized this semester.
Submitted January 23, 2003
MALIBU, CA
